Attorneys for Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, his family and other respondents in the money laundering and wire fraud suit filed against them in the United States, Meza Law have described the allegations in the suit as “meritless” and without basis.
They are therefore asking the Chicago-based Federal Court to dismiss the case, which was filed in November 2020, as they prepare to make their arguments in court.
The lawyers have therefore asked the defendants at Groupe Nduom not to speak on the matter public until they have their day in court.
The Plaintiff is an investment firm incorporated in California with an Akan name – Birim Group, LLC.
They claim that they were assigned the right to sue by two Ghanaian customers of GN Bank and Gold Coast Management – Nana Kwame Twum Barimah and Mavis Amanpene Sekyere, respectively.
In their writ, they accused Groupe Nduom and its directors, including Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, his wife and three of his children of having laundered a total of $63,000,000 via fraud wiring from Ghana to the United States.
The writ states that “The Nduom family (defendants) through their ownership, control and use of defendants GN Bank, Gold Coast Fund Management and over 60 undercapitalized interrelated companies, collected several million dollars of depositor’s saving, investment contributions and insurance premiums, and in violation of U.S. and Ghana laws illegally laundered approximately $63,000,000 of depositors’ funds through its Virginia-based sham ‘procurement and consulting service’ company, International Business Solutions.”
Describing Dr Nduom’s operations as one that would “put Bernie Madoff to shame”, the writ further stated that the purported “criminal scheme” involved “international money wire system – of inflated, over-invoiced and above-market rate fees disguised as payment for ‘management service’”.
The suit named Dr. Nduom, his wife Yvonne Nduom, their children, Nana Kweku Nduom, Edjah Nduom and Nana Aba Nduom in their official capacities in the business as defendants in the suit.
The lead lawyer for the plaintiff is Kwasi A. Asiedu, a Ghanaian lawyer with the firm Schwartz & Asiedu Lawyers.
But in a rather brief response, copied to TechGh24, Lawyers for Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom etal said “the claims alleged by Birim Group LLC are meritless. We have filed for dismissal of this baseless complaint and will make our arguments to the Court.”
